Musical Illusionists
by Courier999
Summary: In the recording business, today's hits can be tomorrow's misses. How then will one Jessica (formerly Jerrica) Benton survive from both the business and the art sides of the industry? Rated T for language, references to substance abuse, and some violence. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS: Musical Illusionists

_Jem_ and related characters are property of Hasbro.

Chapter 1: Scout Out

"Enjoying the drinks, Mister Raymond?" a waitress asked.

Eric Raymond was silent as he strained his ears to the punk rock blaring through the club.

"Mister Raymond?"

"I hear you. And I'm enjoying the band more than these insipid concoctions your bartender created."

The waitress silently fumed at the insult.

"Anyways, who are these women?"

"They're the Misfits, and they're our house band."

"I'd like to chat with their manager if it's not too much trouble."

A man in a nearby booth rose upon hearing those words.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Eric Raymond opened his briefcase and removed three pieces of paper.

"Give these to the Misfits. Tell them that it's only the beginning…"

Later that night, the Misfits' manager approached their dressing room and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and the man walked in.

"Ladies, you've just been given a chance to go big. Full on record deal."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not, Phyl-"

A green-haired woman in a leather top approached the manager.

"It's Pizzaz. Got it?"

The manager nodded and laid the forms onto the table. Pizzaz leaned in and signed.

"Stormer! Roxy! We got ourselves a break!"

Two other women filed in. The first was dressed in a relatively normal-looking outfit, the affect ruined only by her big blue hair. The other was dressed like a biker girl except for her long platinum-blonde hair.

"Sign along the dotted lines, and we're out of this joint."

The blue-haired woman leaned in and signed, while her cohort just scrawled an "X" on her contract.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Due To The Dead

CENTAUR THEATRE

MONTREAL, QUEBEC:

"Now is the winter of our discontent/made glorious summer by this sun of York…" the actor began.

From her seat, Jessica Benton watched the performance going on before her when she felt her phone buzz.

"Rio?"

The man sitting next to her turned around.

"Save my seat. I need to take this call."

Rio nodded as Jessica stepped into the hall and flipped open her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"_Jerrica, it's me, your sister._"

"Kimberly, we've been through this already. You're supposed to call me Jessica like everyone else."

"_Fine, J._"

"Sis, you caught me at a bad time. I'm at the theatre-"

"_Jessica, you've got to come stateside. Dad died yesterday._"

Jessica felt as though she had been punched in the stomach.

"I'll be home within two days." she whispered.

"_Bye._"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Laid To Rest

Jessica daubed her eyes with a handkerchief as her father's funeral began. Rio sat to her left, while a bald man sat to her right.

"We gather here today to honor the memory of Doctor Emmett Benton, a beloved friend and father. First to speak is Edward Augutter, a dear and close friend of Emmett's."

The bald man stood up and approached the coffin.

"I met Emmett and Jacqui up in Seattle back in '87. He wasn't just a friend to me- we were thick as thieves. When Emmet and Jacqui tied the knot in '91, I was the best man. When they had kids, I sent them supplies and babysat when I could. When Jacqui died in '04 and the minister had to cancel, I did the sermon and the eulogy. When I helped start Earth Corps about five years ago, Emmet gave us funding until we got that federal grant."

A tear rolled down Augutter's face.

"Rest in peace, you old buckeye. You've earned it."

The rain poured down as the coffin was lowered into the ground. Augutter and four compatriots stood at the grave, as did Jessica and Rio.

"Out of morbid curiosity, what was the cause of death?" one man asked.

"Heart attack, Bright." Augutter answered.

Jessica approached the men.

"Thanks for coming, Auger." she said.

"It was the least I could do for your dear old dad, Jerrica."

"It's Jessica now."

Auger reached into his jacket and pulled a small red leather box out of his pocket.

"Your father told me to give this to you way back when. Said it contained something that'd help usher in an age of wonder and beauty."

Jessica took the box and put it in her purse.

"_Jessica! Rio! It's time for us to leave for the reception!_" a woman's voice called out.

"Coming, Aja!" came the response.

Jessica turned to the five fellow mourners.

"The others are waiting for me. Got to run."

"Likewise. Just got a report from a ranger at Los Padres National Forest down in Big Sur. Apparently, a couple of hikers found an amber monolith, and we're going to check it out." Auger replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Chspter 4: Meet The Misfits

STARLIGHT RECORDS BUILDING

LOS ANGELES

"Hello, Jessica."

Jessica stared at the source of the smug and smarmy greeting. Sitting behind his desk was one Eric Raymond, her father's former assistant. A smirk was plastered across his face.

"Spare me the performance, Eric. I'm here to tell you that you're not getting my half of the company."

"Why would I do such a dreadful thing?" Raymond asked.

"If I know you as well as I think I do, you'd probably throw your own mother under the bus if you thought you could make a tidy profit off her life insurance."

"Spare me the moralizing, Jerrica. The point is, you're going to have to sell sooner or later."

"As if! You couldn't find talent if it were standing right in front of you!"

"_Wrong_."

The elevator dinged, and three women marched out.

"Jerrica-"

"It's _Jessica_!"

"Same difference. Anyways, meet the band that's going to put me on the gravy train for life. I call them the Misfits- Pizzazz, Roxy, and Stormer."

Jessica watched as the Misfits filed towards her. Their ostensible leader was the first to approach her. Her green hair, leather clothing, and self-assured sneer gave the impression of a punk rock primadonna.

"How do you do?" she asked, her voice oozing a mixture of arrogance and pride.

"Fine. Who are you?" Jessica replied.

"They call me Pizzazz. Remember it, because you're going to see a lot of me. And you better get out of my way."

Jessica muttered a few curses under her breath as she stormed out of the office. Meanwhile, Pizzazz took a seat and propped her feet up on Raymond's desk.

"So, what's the deal with her?" she asked.

"Benton? She's an uptight daddy's girl. Now then, there's a battle of the bands coming up in a couple of days, and you're going to make it big. With a little help from me, you're going to win that sucker and pave the way for some good old fashioned corporate raiding. Benton's half of the company's not going to be able to keep up with us once we get the ball rolling."

"And then what?" a blue-haired individual asked.

"Then, Stormer, she gets desperate and tries to sell. We swoop in, make an offer, and then I've got all of Starlight under my thumb."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The House

ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

THE STARLIGHT HOUSE FOR FOSTER GIRLS:

Jessica's car pulled up to the old mock-Tudor building where she and her sisters had grown up. Out of the corner of her eye, she sighted a sedan already parked next to the house, as if waiting for her.

_Isn't this just ducky?_ she thought as she exited her vehicle and walked up to the door. Standing before her was a man in a gray suit and the housemother, Hazel Bailey.

"Good morning, Miss Benton." the latter announced.

"Hazel, who's this?"

The man reached into his jacket and removed a business card.

"James Barton, building inspector for the county."

"What do you want?" Jessica asked.

"I came to tell you that in my entire career, I have never seen so many violations of building codes and ordinances. Quite frankly, this structure should be condemned."

"We've gotten the wiring and plumbing up to par-"

"It's not your utility setup that's the problem. It's the building foundation. Something's been eating away at it, probably particularly acidic groundwater. Bottom line is, you've got three or four years before the foundation goes out, maybe five if you're lucky. You could commission repairs, but that's another set of issues."

"I see."

"Goodbye, Miss Benton. I hope our next meeting is more pleasant for the both of us."


End file.
